Scholarships 2016-17: the new requirements
Studying with a scholarship is the dream of many families and a necessity for many students without economic resources, who can realize their future goals. Precisely, the Government has just made public the Royal Decree that establishes the income and family patrimony thresholds to access a scholarship.
With this Royal Decree, the Government seeks to provide security to students by guaranteeing scholarships as a subjective right, as well as a continuity with the model launched since the 2012-2013 academic year.
Scholarships 2016-17: modifications with respect to the previous year
As regards the income and family patrimony thresholds as well as the model of the components of the scholarships, amounts and requirements of the beneficiaries, these are the main novelties with respect to the previous course:
1. Complementary credits or training complements. The modification introduced last academic year is completed providing for the possibility of granting a scholarship to take the complementary credits or training complements necessary to obtain the official Bachelor's Degree, to those who are in possession of an official Diploma, Technical Architect, Technical Engineer o Teacher who has obtained correspondence with level 2 (Grade) of the Spanish Framework of Qualifications for Higher Education (MECES).
2. Change of university studies. It facilitates the granting of scholarship in the cases of changes of university studies completed or partially completed with scholarship, making the required requirements more flexible. In the current system so far, the university student with a scholarship that changes university studies can not obtain a scholarship until it exceeds in the new the same percentage of the credits that would have surpassed with a scholarship in the abandoned. As of the approval of this royal decree, you will be able to obtain a scholarship in the new ones when you enroll for at least 30 more credits than you would have received with a scholarship in the abandoned ones.
3. Students of the rural environment. In rural areas, students feared a possible loss of the right to obtain the scholarship as a result of the changes in the cadastral valuation that have occurred in rural areas. However, for them family thresholds have been adapted. In essence, the amounts are adjusted in relation to the new cadastral value of the so-called "indispensable constructions" such as warehouses, warehouses, granaries, etc., built on rustic properties. This new value has an impact on the total value of the farm, so that it could exceed the maximum threshold established for granting the grant, with the eventual loss of the right to obtain it.
Greater budget and number of scholars
The budget for the scholarships of the 2016-17 academic year has increased by 25% in total, compared to 2012. The budget for the scholarships of the new course amounts to 1,416.5 million euros, the highest figure in the historical series . In 2012, the allocated budget amounted to a total of 1,138 million euros.
In addition, the number of interns at both university and non-university levels has increased, as has the number of beneficiaries of grants for students with specific needs for educational support. A total of 95,381 students with specific needs have been allocated an investment in scholarships of almost 95 million euros in the 2015-16 academic year.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
